The International Whaling Commission is the body that determines what happens to whales. It was formed in 1946 to conserve whale populations. In its early attempts to regulate whaling, the IWC did nothing more than sanction whaling, even when the numbers of whales being killed were clearly jeopardizing populations and were unsustainable.

By 1986, after a worldwide outcry against the slaughter of whales and after intense efforts by The HSUS and others, the IWC finally implemented a moratorium on the commercial killing of whales. This moratorium is still in effect and prohibits the for-profit killing of ten species of large whales, most of which had been hunted nearly to extinction.

The IWC is a political body not unlike other bureaucracies. Political and financial pressures influence the direction of the IWC's policy and mission. An inordinate lack of reporting and enforcement has plagued the IWC from the start, and unfortunately, scientists who most actively make recommendations concerning the stability of the whale stocks to the IWC are far from unbiased—many are from whaling nations. Their findings seem to do more to protect their political appointments than to protect whales.

Who Is a Member of the IWC?

The following nations are members of the IWC:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Belize
• Benin
• Brazil
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Cote d'Ivoire
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Dominica
• Ecuador
• Finland
• France
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Germany
• Greece
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guinea-Bissau
• Hungary
• Iceland
• India
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Laos
• Luxembourg
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Morocco
• Nauru
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Norway
• Oman
• Panama
• People's Republic of China
• Peru
• Portugal
• Republic of Guinea
• Republic of Korea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Republic of Palau
• Romania
• Russian Federation
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and The Grenadines
• San Marino
• Senegal
• Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• Spain
• Suriname
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Togo
• Tuvalu
• United Kingdom
• United States of America

What is the current state of whale populations?

Several whale populations are indisputably endangered, including western gray whales (eastern gray whales, which are the population of gray whales found on the Pacific coast of North America, are no longer considered endangered), eastern bowhead whales, northern right whales, blue whales, and most humpback whales. All other populations of whales, except most minkes, are of disputed status.

Although the United States lists all whale species except minkes, grays, and Bryde's (pronounced "broo-dahs") as endangered, the IWC and IUCN (also known as the World Conservation Union) don't necessarily agree. Clearly sperm whale populations are severely depleted, while fin, sei, and Bryde's whale populations are depleted in some areas but may not be in others. Southern right whale and western bowhead whale populations are depleted but appear to be recovering; this does not mean that they should no longer be considered endangered, but simply that they are doing much better than their cousins in terms of recovery. Minke populations are generally considered robust, although there is much disagreement regarding abundance estimates. At least one population, near Japan, is agreed by all (even the Japanese) to be severely threatened.

Is Whaling Illegal?

No. The IWC has imposed a moratorium on the hunting of ten species of whales (blue, bowhead, fin, gray, humpback, minke, pygmy right, right, sei, and sperm), and that moratorium only applies to nations who are members of the IWC. Furthermore, those whales may be killed under scientific or aboriginal subsistence permits.

Who Objects To the Moratorium?

The moratorium has been under assault by several countries for years, Japan, Norway, and Iceland in particular. When the moratorium initially went into effect, Japan and Norway halted their commercial whaling and began killing whales under the provision for scientific whaling. Since 1994, Norway has abandoned the claim of "science" and has openly called its whaling "commercial," which the country is allowed to do because it filed an official objection when the moratorium was first put in place. Iceland originally abided by the moratorium, but quit the IWC in 1992, frustrated that it could not whale commercially. In a controversial move, Iceland was allowed to rejoin in 2002 and file a formal objection to the moratorium which allows it to hunt whales for commercial purposes. Iceland has not done so yet, but the country may soon. Meanwhile, both Japan and Iceland continue kill whales under the guise of scientific research, but sell the meat commercially.

Japan, Norway, and Iceland have threatened to leave the IWC and create their own international whaling organization if the ban on commercial whaling is not lifted in the near future. They exert financial and political pressure on member countries and actively recruit nations to join the IWC that are willing to support their desire to resume commercial hunting.

What Can the IWC Do to a Member that Violates the Treaty?

The IWC is a purely voluntary organization. A nation that wishes to whale need only leave the IWC or—as is the case with Norway—remain a member but ignore the will of the IWC.

What Is the Best Way To Protecting Whales?

Australia has made a useful proposition calling for a true global sanctuary for whales. It would protect whales right up to the shoreline of every country. Creation of the sanctuary would provide whales the protection they so desperately need, not just from the years of unabated commercial killing but also from the environmental threats and habitat destruction that is plaguing our oceans. The IWC has done little to address these latter, larger problems primarily because its scientists have focused on the health of the whaling industry rather than on the health of whale populations. Establishing a global sanctuary will enable the IWC to refocus its efforts where they are most desperately needed.

A global sanctuary will also benefit whale-watching programs around the world. As of 2000, more than 490 communities in 87 countries (including Japan, Iceland, and Norway) had whale-watching businesses. The total revenue from whale watching more than doubled between 1994 and 1998, and expenditures now total more than $1 billion a year. Whale-watching profits far exceed those from selling whale parts and meat. Unlike whaling, this wealth is shared among all participating coastal communities.

How Can the U.S. Government Help Protect Whales?

Members of the U.S. delegation to the IWC can take the lead in creating sanctuaries for the full protection of whales. The delegation can also continue to hold the position that whales must not be killed for commercial purposes.

How Can a U.S. Citizen Help Protect Whales?

1. Take action online.

2. Write to President George W. Bush and urge him to maintain the U.S. policy against commercial whaling and impose trade sanctions against Japan and Iceland.

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
202-456-1414
Fax: 202-456-2461
Email: president@whitehouse.gov

3. Write to Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and tell him that the U.S. public is opposed to Japan, Iceland, and Norway's continued killing of endangered and threatened whales, which undermines the effectiveness of the IWC.

The Honorable Carlos M. Gutierrez
Office of the Secretary
Room 5516
U.S. Department of Commerce
14th & Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20230
202-482-2000
Email: CGutierrez@doc.gov

4. Write to Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne to express your concerns regarding Japan and Norway's trade in whale meat which diminishes the effectiveness of CITES.

The Honorable Dirk Kempthorne
Secretary of the Interior
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20240
202-208-3100
Email: dirk_kempthorne@ios.doi.gov

Updated May 13, 2008